Divided last



G. M. RAY

DIVIDED LAST April 23, 1929.

Filed NOV. 2, 1927 Patented Apr. 23, 1929.

UNITED STATES GEORGE RAY, NEWTON CENTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

DIVIDED LAST,

Application filed November 2, 1927. Serial No. 230,482.

This invention relates to certain improvements in divided lasts of the type disclosed in my pending application Scrialllo. 148,057,

in which the last is divided by aplane of separation which extends from the last bottom, in the shank portion, obliquely towards the to) to heel end a ton ne and roove coni v 7 h h nection being provided between the sections, so arranged that they are connected by sliding the heel section on the forepart sectio towards the top of the latter.

In said prior construction, a spring actuated bolt, or pin, for locking the heel section to the'forepart section was arranged in the heel section in approximately perpendicularrelation to the top of the last and this arrangement was found to be unsatisfactory for several reasons. WVhen a shoe is properlylastcd the upper is drawn as tightly as practicable from the toe end of the last to themiddle of itsback end, so that it exerts a strong tension lingtiudinally of the last, and, on account of the fact that the plane of separation extends obliquely forward from the top'towards the last bottom, the tension on the back endof the heel section tends to pull the same for wardly, and the locking bolt located as above described was not found to be effective in preventing all movement in this direction, and any movementwhich caused the last to shorten and the upper to be relaxed, even to a. slight extent, at the time of the lasting operation, is vitally objectionable.

Another objection to my said plGVlOUS construction was that it did not permit reassembling of the section in as convenient a manner as was desirable.

The objects of the present invention are to provide, in. connection with a last having the importantcharacteristics of my said prior construction an improved means for locking the sections together which will effectively prevent any relative shortening movement of the last sections due tolongitudinal 'tensionthereon, until the locking means is actually moved to permit separation of the sections, and which is also con structed and arrangedto permit the sections to be readily restored to normal. relation and the shoe to be readily relasted if desired. r I 1 I accomplish these objects in the manner hereinafter described and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

a Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a last em bodying the invention and shown in position for lasting. i

the heel portion thereof.

, Figs. 3 and 4 are, respectively, and views of the forepart and heel part sections when separated.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view, similar to Fig. 2, illustrating the unlocking and delasting operation.

Fig. 6 is a similar view illustrating the operation of restoring the parts to normal position, and

dig. 7 is a detail perspective View of a. portion of the rear end of the forepart section. I

In general construction and arrangementrear portion of the shank part to points closely adjacent the line of the top edge of the upper of a low cut shoe, when on the last, said plane of separation being met by another plane of separation which extends from the rear end of the last'in approximate parallelism with the top or heel surface, so that the top of the last is continuous or undivided and the forepart section has a projecting heel portion a integral therewith. A flat metal plate 0, of the same thickness as the saw cut formed in dividing the last, is firmly secured, preferably by ordinary wood screws, to the surface on the forepart formed by the oblique cut which extends from the last bottom, therplate 0 ss, sothzn its edge may be buffed down when the last s finished and forms a smooth continuous surface with the last surface; The plate 0 slotted from its bottom end, tl'iroughout the middle thereof to points at a substantialdistance from the inner or top end of the plate, the sides 0 of said slot being undercut and extending convergently big. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of from the bottom to a transverse square a shoulder which forms the inner end of the slot, as shown in Fig. 7, a slot of tape-ring dove-tall construction be ng thereby formed. A metal tongue plate (Z, of the same thlckness as the plate 0, is secured to the heel section b the side edges (l thereof being tapered and under cut to correspond to the sides 0 of the slot, so that, when the heel part section is placed on the forepart section and slid into position, the tongue plate will pass intothe slot of the groove plate 0 and'will become firmly wedged therein when the last sections are in their normal relative position, in which position the end edge (l of the tongue will seat against the shoulder 0 of the plate." In order that the top face b of the heel section may also seat firmly on the projecting heel portion a of the other section, a hard: fiber plate 6, of a thickness corresponding to the width of the saw cut,

. is secured 'on one surface, or the other, formheel section.

from its top end to the plate 0 in alignment ed by the saw out which extends from the rear end of the last.

The heel section is boredto form a Clltlllh ber 5 which extends from a point in the 'oblique face formed by severing the last located approximately midway between the inner end of the tongue plate (Z and'its top face Z1 and in a direction as nearly perpendicularto said oblique face as practicable. A coil spring f is disposed in said recess, and a bolt orhinge, having a flanged inner end and a rounded or semi-spherical outer end,

is arranged in said'chamber If, a thi'mble it being provided in the outer end of the chamwith the chamber 6 so that the bore opens to the hole 6 and a metal bushing, or thirnble j is fitted therein. The forepart section is also provided with the usual jack post 7 :thimble i: which is'located in front of, and

as closely as practicable to the outer end of the thimble j, whichextends obliquely from the thimble la. The plate 0 is beveled at the middle portion of the shoulder to form an inclined deflecting face a, which extends outwardly from the inner end of the slot towards the hole 0 to points closely adjacent thereto. The last is'provided with the usual metal bottom which will be formed in two sections m and a, the sect-ion n on the heel section being arranged to overlap plate d thereon.

" firmly engaged with the shoulder 0 Assuming that the sections are disconnected, and are to be connected, the narrower end portion of the tongue plate (i will forcedinward until its outer end is flush with the face of the heel section and bears on the surface of the plate 0, so that when the sections have been moved into normal relation, the pin 9 will be forced into the hole 0*, locking the parts firmly in this position, the arrangement being such that, at the same time, the sides of the slotand tongue will become firmly wedged together and the end Z of the tongue will become this position the pin g, which will be closely fitted in thethimble it, will also be closely fitted in the hole 0 and will extend through the plate 0 approximately at right angles thereto, so that, when the shoe is lasted and drawn tightly from the toe to the middle of the back end of the last, the tendency thereby caused to slide the heel section forwardly on the forepart section, so as to shorten the last, will be positively and. effectively re-- sisted, and at the same time the sections will be as firmly connected, for all practical purposes, as if they had not been separated.

When the shoe is lasted the lastwill be supported on the ordinary jack post, which will be locatedin thimble k, as in Fig. 1,

but, for removing the shoe from the last, a

special jack is provided, having a post p adapted to fit in thimble j, and having its end portion p reduced to the diameter of the hole 0 the portion being of a length equal to the thickness of the plate 0. When the shoe is to be removed from the last, the last will'be placed onthe :post p and pressed down, so that its reduced end portion will engage the end of pin 9, which will be forced upward thereby until the shoulder on the post engages the plate a, in which position the pin 9 will have been entirely freed from the hole 0 as shown in Fig. 5. this occurs, the heel section will be slipped forward by the tension of the shoe thereon and then the operator, by pulling on the back end of the shoe, will be able to remove it easily without in any way stretching or straining the shoe upper. If the shoe is to be relasted the heel section will be placed in position in the heel part of the shoe and then the shoe willbe drawn onto theforepart, as the heel part is pressed down into position thereon, as previously described, without When over straining the upper, or requiring the use of a shoe horn.

The above described construction also possesses all the advantages of my previously disclosed construction and may be manufactured at a low cost.

I claim:

1. A last having heel and forepart sections dividedby a transverse plane of separation extending obliquely from the bottom towards the top and rear end thereof and forming oppositely disposed contacting faces thereon, connecting means disposed on said faces and arranged to interlock as the heel section is moved from the bottom towards the top of the forepart section with said faces in contact, a bolt slid-ably mounted in said heel section in approximately perpendicular relation to the face thereof, and means for yieldably holding said bolt with its end portion protruding beyond said face, said forepart section having a deflecting face arranged to retract said bolt as said heel section is moved towards the top thereof in interlocked relation and a recess to receive said end portion as said sections are moved into normal relation to lock the same against opposite movement, said recess opening to the top of the section to permit manual retraction of the bolt. a

2. A last having heel and forepart sections divided by a transverse plane of separation extending obliquely from the bottom towards the top and rear end thereof and forming oppositely disposed contacting faces, tongue and groove connecting means disposed on said faces and arranged to interlock as said heel section is moved slidably with said faces in contact towards the top of the forepart section, abutting means on said sections arranged to limit said movement when the sections arein normal relation, a locking bolt reciprocally mounted in said heel section in approximately perpendicular relation to its said face, and having spring actuated means for normally holding said bolt with its end portion extending beyond said face, and means on said forepart section for retracting said bolt as said ,SGCUOIIS are moved in interlocked relation towards their abutting position, said forepart section having a recess arranged to receive the bolt end portion as the sections are moved into abutting relation, to lock the same against retraction, and having a post aperture leading from its top to said recess, to cause retraction of the bolt when the last is supported on a post inserted therein. I

3. A last having heel and forepart sections divided by a transverse plane of separation extending obliquely from the bottom towards the top and rear end thereof and forming oppositely disposed faces, a flat metal plate mounted on the face of said forepart section having an under cut slot leading from its bottom end and an opening therethrough beyond the upper end of said slot, a metal tongue mounted on said heel section and arranged to be locked in said slot as the heel section is slidably moved on the forepart section towards the top of the latter, and a bolt reciprocally mounted in said heel section in approximately perpendicular relation to its said face and having spring actuated means to move the end portion thereof into said opening when the sections are moved into normal relation, the plate on said forepart section having a deflecting face extending from the inner end of its slot towards its said opening arranged to cause retraction of said bolt as said heel section is moved towards its normal position on theforepart section,

and said forepart section having a passage I leading to said opening arranged for manual retraction of said bolt from the top of the last.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

GEORGE M. RAY.

contacting 

